Stories

In our 2017-2018 Impact Report, we present stories of hope. Individuals share personal stories of how they have been impacted by the services of Hathaway-Sycamores. Their experiences contain transformative moments that, with support, grow into something that is life-changing. They are stories that will inspire as they describe the strength of the human spirit! We invite you to learn about the work we have been doing over the last year to continue cultivating hope and resilience to enrich the...

We invite you to watch this short, powerful video about Mark, Cody and LaReill, three young men whose lives have been changed by the services they have received at Hathaway-Sycamores’ El Nido residential campus. Mark, Cody and LaReill relate, in their own words, the positive impact that their stay at El Nido has made in their lives. At EL Nido the boys, who range in age from 6 to 18 years, receive therapy for mental health issues and vocational training to give them the tools for an...

In the video, 3 Paths to Adulthood, three former foster youth – Armine Gasparyan, Marcos Gutierrez and Wayne Jackson – share their experiences with Hathaway-Sycamores’ Transitional Independent Living Program. The program provides housing, job training and other support services to help former foster youth transition into successful adults. According to Marcos Gutierrez, “I didn’t think people or places like this existed anywhere. They pretty much helped me put myself back together. They...

The heart-wrenching details are forever etched in Vicki’s mind. It was December of 2010, and Vicki – then 15 – was on winter break, as were her two younger sisters and one younger brother. Instead of enjoying a holiday vacation, the four kids – and their mother – were living in a compact car, surviving on an occasional slice of bread. On one cold and rainy night, Vicki and the others were awoken by a police officer’s blinding flashlight. That bright beam triggered a series of scarring events....

Hathaway-Sycamores is changing a community one child at a time at our Family Resource Center’s Learning Lab in Highland Park. Alejandra Negrete is a former Learning Lab student currently attending the University of California, Irvine. Alejandra states, “Without the Learning Lab, I’d probably be at home with a minimum wage job.” Today, Alejandra is aiming higher, she plans to become a lawyer. The Learning Lab currently serves 250 at risk youth by providing free tutoring...

Many of you are familiar with the inspiring story of how Macrina and Miguel Gutierrez become foster/adoptive parents of three young siblings – literally, overnight. We are happy to share their latest news; the family of five is headed to Washington D.C. where Macrina and Miguel Gutierrez will be honored as 2015 “Angels in Adoption!” “Angels in Adoption” is an annual award presented by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). It enables U.S. Congress members to...